Hand crutch



Feb, 6, 1940. L. E. LUNDQUIST HAND CRUTCH File Dec.

VENTOR.

w M w n n m a m ml 7 T E. A m w B M a L m Patented Feb. 6, 1940 UNITED sTA s PATENT OFFICE The present invention relates to an improvement in hand crutches and is especially adapted for use in sick rooms or hospitals and the like, andis, designed-to be an aid to convalescents, especially those who have been bedridden for an extended periodgof time. The present crutch,

though it maybe otherwise'used, performs several functions, first, it enables a convalescing invalid to get out of bed and secondly to move aboutthe room, unassisted, and thirdly to perunit the invalid to gradually recover, by exercise, the useof his or her limbs, all of which is ac"- complished without aid, from others.

One of the mainfeatures of the present device is in the formation, whereby the center of gravity and load are offset in such a manner that the foot-piece of thecrutch may be set well under a bed and the handles set well over the bed, when the user is in sitting position on the edge of the bed, thus placing the handles of the crutch well under the hands and arms of the user, and near to the center of gravity of thebody of the user. This enables the user to rise substantially vertically from the bed, thus enabling the user to use both arms to attain standing position, withoutleaning forward and thus losing fulcrum and balance, in arising. Thereafter, the user may slide, first one crutch and then the other in operating sequence, keeping hisor her weight well balanced by the-arms, and supported thereby, and relieving the legs of considerable of the load. Thus, the legs may become gradually accustomed to use, and eventually become normal.

Another feature of advantage is in the light weight of thecrutches, thus relieving the user from excess weight and in addition to the other features of advantage render the crutches sanitary, and easily cleaned andsterilized.

, The foregoing and other features of advantage will be apprehended as the herein description proceeds and it will be obvious that modifications may be made in the structure herein disclosed, without departing fromthe spirit hereof or the scope of the appended claims.

I In the drawing,

Fig.-1gis a view in side'elevation of one formof the present device;

Fig, 2 is a side view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section, of the, handle; v

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5, Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the WSJI Fig. an enlarged, fragmentary. -view of another form of handle construction, in partial transverse section;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of a tubular end engaging flanged section in pers'pective; 1,

Fig. Sis a fragmented side view ofthe modified. structure shown in Fig. 9; a

Fig. 9 is a plan view partially sectioned of a modified form of crutch foot; and

Fig. 10 is a side View in any elevation, in a re l duced scale in amodified form of crutch.

The device, generally denoted by i, is used in pairs, like crutches and comprise a footportion 2, made of metal tubing, for lightness and strength, is made of one piece, formed into a rec- 5 tangular construction the ends of which are joined together at l2,pFigs. l and 3, the foot being elongate one way andnarrowthe other way.

The joinedend of 2 fis welded. or brazed to the lower flangedendJOf an inclinedstraight strut tube 3, said "strut being inclined tothe left, as viewed in Fig. 1. The lower flanged end 9 of the tube 3, is flanged in a so -called fish-mouth joint, which embraces the diameterv of the foot tube on both sides of the joint l2, and when thus affixed firmly binds the flanged tube joint 9 about the joint I2, and thus fixes this joint firmly together in integral assembly.

The upper end ofstrut 3 is flattened, Figs. 1

and 4, as1at 5, the outer end of said flattened portion being rounded as at 16, Fig. 2 and this flattened rounded end is set into a recess in the metal handle forming tube. I4, Fig- 4. The

handle tube M, at itsopposite ends, is. closed by v two plugs I5'-I5, which may be firmly affixed in recessed position by brazing. Before assembly of the support or strut tubes '3 and 4 to-the handle structure a rubber grip 13 maybe drawn over the tube 14, and'then the support tubes 3 40' and 4, properly flattened at their ends 5 and 6,

may be riveted to the handle tube, by a rivet 'l,

which passes through tube l4 and is headed as at, 8, Fig. 4, over'the fiatted ends 5 and 6.

A modified form of handle is-shown in Fig. 6,

wherein a handle forming tube is dispensed with, the tube ends 3 and 4 being bent at the proper angles and joined at the mid point i'l. An inner metal tube '13 is telescopically mounted inthe interior of tube ends 3 and 4', to stiffen them,

and a rubber handle forming tube H is mounted upon the tube ends 3 and 4' to form a grip; I As shown'in Fi '1, the strut supporting tube 4, is curved inwardly untilit contacts at about.

its mid-point with approximately the mid-point of tube 3, and then, curving outwardly is attached by its flanged lower end ill, by brazing or otherwise, Fig. 7, to the foot tube 2 at a point opposite the point of attachment of tube 3 to the foot piece 2. Thus, the foot piece is connected to the strut tubes 3 and 4 with its elongate length between said strut tubes, as shown in Fig. 3. The tubes 3 and 4, at their mid-contacting points may be riveted, as at H, Fig. 1, or otherwise suitably joined at this point, for rigidifying the support structure. This curvature of the strut 4, permits, as illustrated in Fig. 1, of the foot portion 2 and the grip portion H to pass under and over the bed edge and thus bring the crutch support close to the user, while seated on the bed edge.

A modified form of foot piece and mode of strut tube attachment is shown in Figs. 8 and 9, wherein the foot piece 2' is made of an elongate wooden piece 2, upon which is attached the lower extremities l9 and 23 of the coacting strut pieces 3 and 4 respectively. To this end the lower ends of the strut pieces are flattened, as in Figs. 8 and 10, at 19 and 29, and the flattened ends are then curved or bent, as shown in Fig. 8, so that the flattened ends lie in a parallel plane to the surface of base 2', and are then affixed to said base by screws 2!. This structure is rigid and satisfactory, and is an economical way to construct the base end of this device, and maintain lightness, strength and sanitary conditions.

A further modified form of crutch is shown in Fig. 10, wherein the crutch includes a hand crutch portion generally denoted by l, but the handle portion is so modified that the inclined strut portion 3" is provided with bushing f at the upper open end, the bushing being provided with a threaded thumb nut T, and a telescopic extension tube R is slidably mounted to reciprocate within the strut 3". The upper part of the telescopic tube R is provided with an offset grip portion 43, which forms a grip H which is affixed to the tube R, by means of a through rivet 8.

When the tube R is fully telescoped downwardly, the handle H rests in contact with the handle H, and this double grip then forms a single grip for hand crutch purposes.

When the tube R is arranged in the position shown in Fig. 10, and is locked in said position by the thumb nut T, the crutch becomes in effect a hand crutch and a shoulder crutch, so that the user may first utilize the hand crutch to arise from sitting position, and after having arisen, to use the crutch as a shoulder crutch.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A hand crutch comprising an elongate, rectangular, tubular base portion, a tubular hand grip portion remote from said base portion and in parallel relation thereto, said base and grip portions being relatively offset from one another longitudinally, an upright, inclined tubular strut joining corresponding ends of said base and grip portions, a second upright strut joining the op posite ends of said base and grip portions, said latter upright being incurved and contacting with the mid-portion of said first strut and means for affixing said struts together-at said contact point.

2. A hand crutch as set forth in claim 1, in which the hand grip portion is formed of a tubular base, heads set in the ends of said tube contact with each other, a plug fitted in said bent tubular ends and a rubber hand grip portion mounted upon the exterior of said bent tubular ends.

4. A hand crutch comprising an elongate base, a hand grip portion remote from said base and located in parallel relation to said base, said base and grip portions being relatively offset longitudinally from each other, and a pair of upright, lorgitudinally inclined struts aflixed to said grip and base portions to fixedly hold said base and grip portions in said offset positions.

5. A hand crutch comprising an elongate base, a hand crutch portion remote from said base and located in parallel relation to said base, a pair of substantially upright struts joining said crutch and base portion and a telescopic grip portion mounted for slidable movement in one of said strut portions.

6. A hand crutch comprising an elongate base,

a hand crutch portion remote from said base and located in parallel relation to said base, a pair of upright struts joining said crutch and base portion and a telescopic portion mounted for slidable movement in one of said strut portions and means for locking said slidable strut portion 5 in any adjusted position.

7. A crutch comprising a base having a part adapted to rest on a floor; a grip; supporting means supporting said grip on and above said part; all of the structure of said supporting means at a predetermined height being entirely forward of a perpendicular passing through the rear end of the grip and said part while the part is resting on the floor.

8. A crutch comprising a part having a point adapted to rest on a floor; a grip; supporting means supporting said grip above said part; all structure of said supporting means at a predetermined height being entirely forward of a perpendicular passing through said point and the portion of the grip to the rear of its center while said point is on the floor.

9. A crutch comprising a base having separated parts adapted to rest simultaneously on a floor; a grip; supporting means supporting said grips above and on the base; all of the structure of said supporting means at a predetermined height being entirely forward of perpendiculars passing through the grips and between said parts.

10. A crutch comprising a base having front and rear part-s adapted to rest simultaneously on a floor; a grip; supporting means supporting said grip on and above the base; all of the structure of said supporting means at a predetermined height being entirely forward of a perpendicular passing between said parts and through the grip.

11. A crutch comprising a base having front and rear parts adapted to rest simultaneously on a floor; a grip; supporting means supporting said grip on the base; all structure of said means at a predetermined height being forward of perpendiculars passing through the forward part and the forward end of the grip.

12. A crutch comprising a wide elongated base adapted to rest fiat on a floor; a grip; supporting grips; supporting means supporting said grips above the space within the effective perimeter of the base, whereby said grips are supported in stable equilibrium; all of the portion of said supporting means at bed height being entirely forward of perpendiculars passing through the for- Ward ends of the grips;

LUDWIG E. LUNDQUIST. 

